A top-notch barbecue joint—favored by President Barack Obama and his staff—is slated to open in D.C. soon. Joe Davidson, Founder and CEO of Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue and Catering, announced on September 22 that the Oklahoma company was close to announcing new restaurant locations in Tulsa and Washington, D.C. and within thirty days will make an announcement about a monster project for one-of-a kind Barbecue Factory in Oklahoma.

Joe said, “The interest in the brand continues to grow and I am super excited about the new jobs that will be coming to Oklahoma.”

The most exciting news Davidson observed was the addition of John Foreaker to the team as Oklahoma Operations Chief and head of the restaurant training group. Davidson said, “As we bring on more stores in Oklahoma and around the country, John will play an instrumental role in getting these stores up to speed to maintain the World Class quality our customers have come to expect.”

Foreaker said, “I finally have my dream job, Joe Davidson and his Oklahoma team are known as pioneers in the barbecue business and have a great reputation as restaurant operators and innovators.”

With over 25 years in the restaurant industry, John Foreaker is known for his strong, hands-on operational leadership, delivering on profitable sales growth, aggressive expansion, human resource development and training.

Foreaker has held senior management positions with Bloomin Brands at Carrabbas Italian Grill and Darden Restaurants where he held different positions for four different concepts; Bahama Breeze, Red Lobster, Smokey Bones and Olive Garden.

Responding to the news that the Kansas City Oklahoma Joe’s restaurant licensee has elected to change the name of the stores in Kansas City, Davidson said, “ I was not surprised since the conversations have been going on for years around the change. Jeff Stehney owned an Oklahoma Joe’s license to operate in Kansas City under the name Oklahoma Joe’s and has paid us a royalty for many years.” “I know Jeff always wanted to own his own brand so this change makes sense for him,” Davidson said.

Davidson went on to say, “I wish Jeff nothing but the best we have been friends for years and he deserves all the success he gets.” Davidson observed that in 1995 after he opened the first Oklahoma Joe’s in Stillwater, he and Jeff decided to buy the gas station in Kansas. We built the restaurant brand and opened the new locations on the back of the reputation of Oklahoma Joe’s World Championship Smoker Company in Oklahoma. Without that history and reputation there would not have been any Oklahoma Joe’s restaurants.

Davidson said, “2015 is going to be the real break-out year for Oklahoma Joe’s and our other ventures in the barbecue sector. Staring in the fall of 2014 we will be making some announcements around a USDA facility in Oklahoma and significant expansion with our company that is going to create a lot of jobs in Oklahoma in addition to the new Oklahoma Joe’s locations.

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